FLORIDA MOM MAGAZINE - May '08 - Danielle HazlettBy: Robert Candler Photos: Carrie-Lynn Smith
 Danielle Hazlett is a true creative artist. Her canvas is the interior of homes and businesses. Her brush ranges from different natural materials, such as stone and wood to upscale fixtures and furnishings. She is the muse that creates stylistic atmospheres, engaging her
client’s dreams and expectations, all the while maintaining her entrepreneurial spirit.
Growing up in the small town of Newburgh, Indiana gave her a lot of freedom as a kid. She could walk or ride her bike just about anywhere, visiting friends in all four corners of the town. It was this sense of liberty that would help spark her independent streak later in life, but first change was soon to come.
At the age of 16, her parents made the decision to move to Monroe, Ct. “It was a huge culture shock, and I was heart-broken to leave all of my friends behind,” states Danielle. It was at this point that she discovered her passion for interior design. “We were building a new house, and my mother wanted nothing to do with making selections such as flooring, and cabinet colors, and paint colors. I took over for her and worked with the builder to make these selections. My family was very happy with the decisions that I made. I guess you could say that they were my first client,” she fondly remembers. Her family has always been there to support her decisions, good or bad.
When Danielle decided to move to Chicago, Illinois to attend the Harrington Institute of Interior Design, her family said, “Go for it!” She graduated and was immediately hired on at The Childs / Dreyfus Group, a satellite design company in Chicago, with headquarters in New York City. There she specialized in model home merchandising, working predominantly with large corporate residential developers spanning the East coast. In 2001, she moved to the Jacksonville Beach area, and went to work for a local interior design firm. She struck up a friendship with Stacy Smith, who was also a design consultant, and the two decided to strike out on their own in 2004, starting Designhouse.
Danielle fondly remembers, “Three years ago, Stacy and I decided we were ready to go out on our own and utilize our combined 25 years of experience. Starting with no money or financial backing, and having to build our business from the ground up, was very challenging. We never knew where and when we would get another project, or how we were going to pay our bills. We started our business in a small room in Stacy’s apartment and have since moved in to two other offices, each time acquiring more needed space.”
As Designhouse began to grow, the list of clients expanded. One of Danielle’s favorite projects was the Chew restaurant in downtown Jacksonville. Chew had them create an environment new to the Jacksonville area. It was one considered more modern and urban, usually seen in places such as New York and Chicago. Another project that the team dove into was redesigning both of the Twisted Martinis, downtown and the beaches locations.
On top of fulfilling her passion as an interior consultant, Danielle is also Gavin’s mom. I asked her about being a full time entrepreneur and being a single mom. “It is difficult being a business woman and a single mom. It is very challenging to play both roles, and time management is very important. Owning my own business allows for more flexibility in my daily schedule, and therefore I am able to spend more time with Gavin,” she says. She reminds me about the solid family support that she receives, as well as her companion, Glenn Allmer.
Danielle asserts, “I encourage women to break out and offer their expertise and knowledge to the community. It is a lot of work, however the rewards are worth the extra effort. I would not choose to go back to work for anyone else, even though owning a business is like being on a roller-coaster ride. The rewards outweigh the pitfalls by far!” |
|
